Film around a Location or Locate around a film?

[ctbullet]

i'd like to say i write a script then find the locations but the amount of times i found somewhere cool in the countryside and wrote a script around it i really don't no, what about everyone else?

[Ornsack]

Often see places and think "I'll use that one day" but rarely do something for the sake of it.

Been wanting to use my friends cellar for 3 years now and finally got to use it recently, for example

If you see a place that's inspirational however, then go for it!


I think it's like doing a parody really. Don't do it 'cus it's cool, do it 'cus the idea's good

[Grant]

In my opinion you write the film according to the locations you are sure you have, especially if you want to shoot soon. If not soon then write all locations in and then try to find or adapt them

[nigel101]

See what locations are for you and use em. Id recommend though 100% trust me, try and shot all of it in as least locations as posiable, 1 is the best number, traveling takes time, more locations more problems. Shot everything on the day if you can as coming bak to it later it might (usual) have changed. Write in locations for your opening shots as and when you like as you can add them after for opening shots.

[Ornsack]

Although in the same breath, the more locations you use, the bigger the production value of the whole thing.

I usually go for more locations but with a small team of people (three people max if I can help it)

[Kentertainment]

For Five Cents the whole reason the story deals with a library is because I knew I had access to one.

[UFProductions]

I'm of the opinion that if you can't get all of the people you need, and every piece of equipment into your car the location is useless. I also find that chloroform is a handy tool for getting people into the aforementioned car.

[Grant]

Yes the opening of scene of UDDS X took a car and a panel van, the major battle scenes of UDDS Armageddon took3 cars and a van full

[-Joe-]

I agree with creating a film based on what you know you have access too. Its much easier, but you don't want to go out of your way to film at some location or use some place just because you can, if it doesnt fit in with the story. The last movie I did (which should be done by this coming tuesday) was filmed in my house, a large cave 40 miles from my house, and the majority of it at a lake about 15 miles from my house. The cave was by FAR the most difficult place to film, we had to place a genereator outside the mouth of it and run 300 feet of extension cords to some shop lights that we carried in. It took about 8 hours to film everything and we didnt even get it all filmed because my camera battery died and I forgot my AC power cord!! We got about 10 minutes of actual footage and ended up having about a 3 minute scene from it. Now I know why movies take so many years for a 90 minute piece!

BTW I'll make a thread for my new movie, I made a thread for the trailer but renamed it to "The Journey" a story about a kid and his friends who all suck at wakeboarding, so he goes on a journey for "the holy wakeboard" to bring him and his friends skill.

It turned out quite well since we pretty much made up the entire script as we went along. It took about the entire summer to film and about 4-5 weeks to edit. Still have about 10 more minutes of movie to finish then it will be done.

P.S. sorry to kinda hijack this thread but I just dont wanna make an official thread until the movie is released on Tuesday!

[Epsilon]

Create your story first, then find locations according to the scene required. Use places you have seen as inspiration for your story, but do not limit yourself to only those locations.

[MikeMoring]

I agree with those who say that if you see a location that inspires you, go ahead and use it... but generally speaking, I would recommending creating your story first, and figuring out how to make your vision a reality after.

I can recall listening to an audio commentary in which filmmaker Robert Rodriguez suggests plotting a film around what you know you have. His example of course was El Mariachi: he knew he had a bus, a turtle, a guitar, etc... so he constructed his script around these things.

Although there are some very obvious advantages to this... and depending on the impracticality or ambition of your imagination, it may be the best route for you... but otherwise, I think I personally like doing it the other way around.

Create your script with no inhibitions. Don't worry about what you have and don't have... allow yourself to be the most ambitious filmmaker you can possibly be. Then, when your script is finished, find a way to do what you want to do. If you want it bad enough, chances are you'll make your ideas a possibility.

If some things are proven to be impossible... then you can prepare yourself to make compromises.


When I wrote Untitled, I didn't know how the hell I was going to get a bus and a driver for the film. But it was a scene that I truly wanted to include, so I wrote it into the script and then explored every possibility. I could have never imagined it possible... but eventually I had a number of different options for the bus.

It was the same with Take It Back; I really had no idea that I'd be able to completely demolish a car when I wrote the script. But I wrote it... even with a little red car in the script. Then I worried about trying to produce the final product... and who'd've guessed? There in the film is a little red car, smashed beyond recognition.


Basically... that was a really overly-lengthy and shamelessly self-promotional way to say this: Don't hinder yourself before you know you have to. The word compromise shouldn't be in a filmmaker's vocabulary -- it is an absolute last resort. If you compromise your vision before you even start the script... you'll never achieve your full potential.